Method of preparing fuel briquets.



UNITED STATES PATENT OEFICE.

HARRY VV. JORDAN, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SEMET-SOLVAY COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

METHOD OF PREPARING FUEL BRIQUETS.

Patented June 18, 1907.

1906- 'Serial No. 329,514-

Application filed August 6,

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY W. JORDAN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Syracuse, county of Onondaga, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Method of Preparing Fuel Briquets, of which the following is a specification.

Such briquets are usually made of fuel, such as coal, mixed with a combustible binder, such as coal tar pitch or asphaltum, which are formed into a plastic mass and compressed into briquets. In order to effect this, it is necessary that the binder shall be distributed as uniformly as possible through the mass of fuel to be briqueted, and it has been the practice heretofore to'either grind the binder separately from the fuel to be briqueted, and afterward mix it therewith, or.

to grind the binder and the entire mass of fuel to be briqueted together, or to mix the binder with the fuel when the former isin a melted state.

My invention relates particularly to this part of the process of briqueting, and the object of my improvements is, to increase the solidity of the briquet, by securing a more uniform distribution of the binder throughout the entire mass of fuel, to the end of preventing crumbling of the briquets while burning and thus securing freer and more uniform combustion throughout the mass, and at the same time to reduce the cost of grinding.

To'this end my invention consists in first grinding the binder, as pitch or asphaltum, together with less than the entire quantity of fuel, a gcpal, with which such quantity of the binder is adapted or'intended to be .ground to any desired degree of fineness con-. sistent with economy. In general terms, the more finely it is ground, the better it is adapted for the subsequent steps of the process. By grinding in this manner, the cost of grinding is materially reduced below mixed with t entire quantity of fuel with which it is to be used, and at the same time it is possible to grind pitch of so soft a grade, or in so soft a state, that it cannot be ground by itself in any ordinary manner. The finely ground coal and pitch are then thor oughly mixed in any usual or convenient manner with coal of a coarser size, in such proportions as may be desired to make up the briquets. The particles of the coarse part of the mass, while considerably larger than those of the finely ground part, should not be so large but that the interstices befilled by the finely ground coal and binder, so that the mass will be solidly cemented together. In practice I find that the best results are obtained when the coarser part is of such size that the particles will pass \through a ten mesh screen. After the mixing is completed, the mass is heated to soften the binder, and the briquets are compressed in any usual or convenient manner. In case other ingredients are used in the briquets, which require tobe finely ground, they may be either ground separately or together with the coal and pitch mixture.

By means of my invention, I not only reduce the cost of grinding the materials of fuel briquets, but am able to produce a briquet which is more solid than heretofore, by reason of the more uniform distribution of the binder throughout the mass, and which has better burning qualities than those heretofore known, advantages which will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

The method of preparing material to be briqueted, comprising coal, or other .fue'l mate ial or materials, or any combination thereof, anda binding material, which 0011- I00 that of grinding/ a quantity of the binder tween them 'will bereadily and completely w the finely ground mass With the remainder of sists in grinding together the binding mate- I rial and a part of the coal or other material In testimony whereof, I have hereunto or materials to a fine state, and then mixing gust, A. D., 1906.

HARRY W. JORDAN. the coal or other material or materials in a coarser state, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Witnesses EDWARD HUNT HARRIGAN, I AUGUST SMINGLER, Jr.

subscribed my name, this second day of Au- 

